Skip to Content

SAMA7G5-EK

Last modified by Microchip on 2026/05/27 06:58

SoC Features

The SAMA7G54 is a high-performance, ultra-low power Arm Cortex-A7 CPU-based embedded microprocessor (MPU) running up to 1 GHz. It supports multiple memories such as 16-bit DDR2, DDR3, DDR3L, LPDDR2, LPDDR3 with flexible boot options from octal/quad SPI, SD/eMMC as well as 8-bit SLC/MLC NAND Flash.

The SAMA7G54 integrates complete imaging and audio subsystems with 12-bit parallel and/or MIPI-CSI2 camera interfaces supporting up to 8 Mpixels and 720p @ 30 fps, up to four I2S, one SPDIF transmitter and receiver and a 4-stereo channel audio sample rate converter.

The device also features a large number of connectivity options including Dual Ethernet (one Gigabit Ethernet and one 10/100 Ethernet), six CAN-FD and three high-speed USB. Advanced security functions like secure boot, secure key storage, high-performance crypto accelerators for AES, SHA, RSA and ECC are also supported.

Microchip provides an optimized power management solution for the SAMA7G54. The MCP16502 has been fully tested and optimized to provide the best power vs. performance for the SAMA7G54.

Kit Information

Kit Overview

The SAMA7G5 Evaluation Kit (SAMA7G5-EK) provides a versatile Total System Solution platform that highlights Microchip MPU and connectivity ICs.
The board features on-board memories, two Ethernet interfaces, three USB ports, two CAN interfaces, one SD card connector, two mikroBUS™ click interface headers to support over 450 MikroElektronika Click boards™, an RPi CSIcamera to support a camera module, an RPi extension connector to support several extension boards, and provision to solder a Microchip ATWILC3000-MR110xA Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module.

Information

Note: RPi stands for “Raspberry Pi”. Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Trading.

The Kit is supported by mainline Linux distribution as well as bare metal software frameworks allowing you to easily get started with your development.

Kit Overview

Kit User Guide

sama7g5ek-cu-detalii2.png

Access the console

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.Boards.common-serial.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Access the console on DEBUG serial port

The serial console can be accessed from the DEBUG port with the help of a TTL-to-USB serial cable (marked as DEBUG J20).

Using DEBUG on TTL-to-USB connector (DEBUG J20)

  • For Microsoft Windows users: Install the driver of your USB TTL serial cable. FTDI-based ones are the most popular, have a look to this page to get the driver: https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm * Be sure to connect a 3.3V compatible cable and identify its GND pin. Place it properly according to the silkscreen and connect the cable to the board (J20)
    • For Microsoft Windows users: identify the USB connection that is established
      JLINK CDC UART Port should appear in Device Manager. The COMxx number will be used to configure the terminal emulator.
      JLINK CDC UART Port
    • For Linux users: Identify the serial USB connection by monitoring the last lines of dmesg command. The /dev/ttyUSBx number will be used to configure the terminal emulator.
      [605576.562740] usb 1-1.1.2: new full-speed USB device number 17 using ehci-pci
      [605576.660920] usb 1-1.1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0403, idProduct=6001
      [605576.660933] usb 1-1.1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
      [605576.660939] usb 1-1.1.2: Product: TTL232R-3V3
      [605576.660944] usb 1-1.1.2: Manufacturer: FTDI
      [605576.660958] usb 1-1.1.2: SerialNumber: FTGNVZ04
      [605576.663092] ftdi_sio 1-1.1.2:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
      [605576.663120] usb 1-1.1.2: Detected FT232RL
      [605576.663122] usb 1-1.1.2: Number of endpoints 2
      [605576.663124] usb 1-1.1.2: Endpoint 1 MaxPacketSize 64
      [605576.663126] usb 1-1.1.2: Endpoint 2 MaxPacketSize 64
      [605576.663128] usb 1-1.1.2: Setting MaxPacketSize 64
      [605576.663483] usb 1-1.1.2: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0
      A /dev/ttyUSB0 node has been created.
  • Now open your favorite terminal emulator with appropriate settings

Demo

Demo archives

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.demo-archive.archive2026_04.sama7g5ek.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.faq.demo-sd.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Flash the demo

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.sam-ba3.flash-demo-rootfs-sd.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Run script to flash the demo

  • download the demo package for the board. They are marked as "Media type: Boot on eMMC" in the table above
  • extract the demo package
  • run your usual terminal emulator and enter the demo directory
  • make sure that the sam-ba application is in your Operating System path so that you can reach it from your demo package directory
  • for Microsoft Windows users: Launch the demo_linux_emmcflash.bat file
  • for Linux users: Launch the demo_linux_emmcflash.sh file
  • this script runs SAM-BA 3 and the associated QML sam-ba script (demo_linux_emmcflash_usb.qml) with proper parameters
  • when you reach the end of the flashing process (this will take a few minutes), the following line is written:
    -I- === Done. === 
  • connect a serial link on DBGU and open the terminal emulator program as explained just above
  • power cycle the board
  • Warning

    WARNING: By default, the ROM code on the MPU does not boot from eMMC device (SDMMC0). Please refer to product datasheet on how to configure the ROM code boot configuration to enable booting from SDMMC0, either by writing the OTP (one-time programmable memory) with a boot package to boot from SDMMC0, or to enable emulation mode and in emulation mode to enable booting from SDMMC0. This configuration can be achieved using sam-ba tool.

  • monitor the system while it's booting on the LCD screen or through the serial line

Build From source code

Setup ARM Cross Compiler

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.cross-compiler.13-2-rel1.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Build AT91Bootstrap from sources

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.at91bootstrap.build-at91bootstrap-all-top.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.at91bootstrap.build-at91bootstrap-all-bottom.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Build U-Boot from sources

Getting U-Boot sources

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.u-boot.uboot-get-source.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Cross-compiling U-Boot

Before compiling the U-Boot, you need setup cross compile toolchain in the Setup ARM Cross Compiler above.

Warning

Latest versions of U-boot (2018.07 and newer) have a minimum requirement of 6.0 version of the GCC toolchain. We always recommend to use the latest versions.

Once the AT91 U-Boot sources available, cross-compile U-Boot is made in two steps: configuration and compiling. Check the Configuration chapter in U-Boot reference manual.

Information

Go to the configs/ to find the exact target when invoking make.

The U-Boot environment variables can be stored in different media, above config files can specify where to store the U-Boot environment.

   # To put environment variables in eMMC flash:
   sama7g5ek_mmc_defconfig
  # To put environment variables in SD/MMC card:
   sama7g5ek_mmc1_defconfig
  # To put environment variables in qspi flash:
   sama7g5ek_qspi0_defconfig

Here are the building steps for the SAMA7G5-EK board:

# You can change the config according to your needs.
make sama7g5ek_mmc1_defconfig
make

The result of these operations is a fresh U-Boot binary called u-boot.bin corresponding to the binary ELF file u-boot.

  • u-boot.bin is the file you should store on the board
  • u-boot is the ELF format binary file you may use to debug U-Boot through a JTag link for instance.

Build Kernel from sources

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.components.linuxkernel.linuxkernel-6-6.build-linux-top.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.components.linuxkernel.linuxkernel-6-6.build-linux-bottom.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Build Yocto Project rootfs from sources

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.faq.oebuild.oe-build.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Using SAM-BA to flash components to board

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.sam-ba3.demo-emmcflash-map.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.sam-ba3.install-samba.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Launch SAM-BA tools

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.sam-ba3.launch-master-page.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Failed to execute the [display] macro. Cause: [Current user [null] doesn't have view rights on document [xwiki:Development.applications.linux4sam.subsections.sam-ba3.flash-emmc-components-sama7g5ek.WebHome]]. Click on this message for details.

Recent FAQ